Chapter Seventy-Four: The Bandit Sisters

Driving at full speed down the highway, Wu Jue was swept up in the exhilaration of the ride. The car roared forward, unobstructed, slicing through the open road with a freedom that was almost unimaginable. He still recalled, not so long ago when he had first arrived in this world, how clueless he’d been—mistaking this machine for some strange contraption, unaware of the convenience it offered. Now, hands on the wheel, he couldn’t help but marvel at the ingenuity of human technology.

Suddenly, he spotted movement ahead—a woman leaning over the guardrail at the roadside, engaged in something he couldn’t discern. As she saw his car approach, she hurried down, frantically waving her arms. Clearly, she was a survivor hoping for a ride.

Wu Jue hesitated, then pulled over, but he didn’t roll down the window immediately. Instead, he studied her coldly. The woman wore jeans and a checkered shirt, her skin parched from long exposure to the elements. She approached the car, lips cracked, and called out, “Sir, could you stop for a moment and help us?”

Wu Jue cracked the window just a little and asked, “What’s wrong? What do you need help with?”

“Our car broke down. We need some assistance. Don’t worry, we’ll thank you properly if you help us push it. We’re all compatriots here—let’s help each other out.”

Her request seemed sincere, but Wu Jue had learned to be wary in recent days. The apocalypse had taught people to deceive and outmaneuver each other for survival, so he asked cautiously, “How many of you are there? Where’s your car?”

“There are just two of us, and my sister’s hurt.” She pointed to the side of the highway, showing Wu Jue where their car was.

Two helpless girls stranded on the highway—on the surface, it seemed like a situation that demanded help. Yet Wu Jue couldn’t shake a faint sense of unease as he stepped out and followed her.

The girl expressed her gratitude repeatedly, bowing and thanking him, saying how rare it was to find kindness these days and how her sister would be grateful too.

Climbing over the guardrail, Wu Jue saw a car parked below, its hood open and white smoke billowing out. He hurried over and found a young woman inside, apparently with a gash on her thigh.

She looked up, instantly wary. “Who are you? What do you want?”

Wu Jue answered politely, “I’m just here to help. Don’t be afraid.”

He was about to see if the car could be fixed, but as he observed the injured girl, he felt something was off. The wound on her thigh, at first glance an accident, didn’t look life-threatening—the depth and angle didn’t match an attack by an outsider. Wu Jue, experienced in injuries, quickly realized it was self-inflicted.

He turned and asked, “How did your sister get hurt?”

But the girl who had asked for help was reaching behind her back for something. Noticing Wu Jue’s gaze, she quickly withdrew her hand and said, “Oh, it happened when we were running from zombies. Just an accident.”

Wu Jue stared at her coldly, then lunged forward, grabbing the object at her waist. “How could a zombie give you a wound like that? They only go for people, not just to hurt them. Why are you hiding a gun?”

Realizing she’d been caught, the girl shouted, “Sister, now!” Instantly, the girl in the car leapt out and leveled a gun at Wu Jue. “Don’t move! Or I’ll shoot!”

Wu Jue sneered, “Go on, shoot. See if you can kill me.”

Without waiting for them to act, he shoved the girl in front of him at her sister, then darted forward while they were thrown into confusion and snatched the other gun away from them.

He ejected the magazine and said, “This isn’t how you use a pistol. Threatening innocent people who are just trying to help isn’t right.”

Before the two could react, he fired a shot into the air, startling them into silence.

He tucked both guns behind his back and asked, “How long have you two been doing this? Have you tricked anyone else?”

The younger sister looked pitiful. “No, just one guy before you. He wanted a ride, but we tricked him out of his things and left him. He didn’t have much, really.”

“Enough, don’t tell him everything,” the elder sister snapped. “Look, since you’ve bested us, there’s nothing more to say. Could you give us a ride? We’ll make it worth your while.”

With that, she began to remove her shirt. For all her toughness, the older sister had a voluptuous figure, and as she stripped off her outer layer, her curves were boldly revealed.

Wu Jue quickly closed his eyes, chanting inwardly to resist temptation, and backed away. “Don’t try anything. This humble monk is immune to such wiles.”

“What, calling yourself a monk just because you shaved your head?” The sisters laughed, clearly amused by Wu Jue’s discomfort. The younger one chimed in, “Yeah, Master, it’s so hot—I’ll take off my shirt too. Come, help us atone for our sins.”

“And our pants too—should we bare the most private parts?” Their taunts grew more outrageous as their voices faded, and finally Wu Jue realized he’d been played.

Opening his eyes, he heard the sound of his own car starting up on the highway. The sisters had stolen his vehicle and sped away, leaving him behind.

With a sigh, Wu Jue trudged back to the road. The rest of his journey would have to be on foot. Women in this world, he thought, were growing ever more cunning. He’d lost count of how many times he’d been tempted already. If not for his iron will, he might have fallen for their tricks long ago.

He recalled the sisters mentioning another young man they’d tricked. He wondered if that poor fellow was still nearby, wallowing in self-pity.

Lost in thought, he’d walked some distance when he heard someone ahead shouting, “You two, come back here! If you’ve got the nerve, don’t run! If I catch you, you’ll regret it!”

The voice was oddly familiar. Suddenly, Wu Jue remembered the face—it was Xiao Han.

What was he doing here? He must have been another victim, just like Wu Jue. Hurrying forward, Wu Jue found Xiao Han bent over, catching his breath. Hearing footsteps, Xiao Han glanced back and was startled.

“Master, is that you? I’ve been looking for you for ages!” Xiao Han exclaimed, rushing over and grabbing Wu Jue’s arm. “Ever since Death sent me away, I lost touch with everyone. It’s so good to see you. Did you walk all this way? What happened…”

Wu Jue gave a helpless nod. “I was tricked by those two girls too. Looks like we’re in the same boat.”

Xiao Han clapped his hands in frustration. “Unbelievable! How did we both get outsmarted like this? But it’s true, we’re both too kind-hearted to be rough with women. Those two put on such a pitiful act, then turned callous. They didn’t even give me a ride, just mocked me twice.”

Wu Jue laughed. “I’ve never understood women. There’s nothing to be done about it. How did they trick you?”

Xiao Han recounted his experience, which was much the same—pretending to be in distress, asking for help, then robbing him at gunpoint.

“I had an electric bike, but they took that too. They even switched vehicles midway, ran into me twice more, and each time pretended they’d give me a ride, only to drive off and leave me again,” Xiao Han grumbled. “If I hadn’t been so tired and hungry, I wouldn’t have fallen for it. What about you, Master?”

Wu Jue shook his head ruefully. “Same story. Tried to help, and got played. Worst part is, they weren’t even a match for me, but they used seduction. As a monk, I can’t look at such things, so…”

Xiao Han stared at him, dumbfounded, then snapped out of it. “Unbelievable! Even a good man like you, Master, and they still trick you. Someone ought to teach them a lesson.”

Wu Jue smiled. “Don’t worry. I believe in karma—what goes around comes around.”

They looked ahead at the long stretch of highway. At least now they had each other for company.

***

Meanwhile, the two sisters were racing down the road in Wu Jue’s car, shouting with glee, “This is awesome! All those stupid men, running circles around them!”

“Sis, do you think that bald guy, the one we teased just now, would’ve fallen for it if we hadn’t flirted with him?”

“Don’t mention it. I really think he might be a monk—he actually got embarrassed.” The older sister sighed as she drove. “Lucky for us he didn’t dare look. If we’d tried that with someone more ruthless, we might have been in real trouble.”

“Hey, do you think the monk likes you, Sis? He blushed as soon as you started taking your clothes off,” the younger one teased.

The older sister rolled her eyes. “Not a chance! If anything, he was interested in you—he probably came for your sake. Should we go back and rescue him?”

“Why don’t you go after that dumb kid instead? He’s even more naive than the monk. If we hadn’t tricked him, he’d probably want to travel with us.”

“Stop talking nonsense.” The older sister pinched her sibling, but just then the car jolted violently, as if they’d hit something.

Both slammed the brakes and realized there was a person lying in the middle of the road—they’d just run into someone.

Oh no, had they killed someone?

The two sisters exchanged a curious glance.

End of Chapter 74: Bandit Sisters